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Regional housing study recommends targeted tools for Harrisonburg: density bonuses, financing analysis and preservation work
Summary
The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission presented a regional housing study with recommendations for Harrisonburg including evaluating density bonuses tied to affordable housing goals, pursuing financing tools and monitoring preservable affordable housing stock.
HARRISONBURG — The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission presented findings from a regional housing study on April 8 that analyzed local housing markets and recommended both regional and city-specific strategies to increase housing supply and preserve affordability.
Jeremy Cruz, director of planning at the CSPDC, summarized a two‑phase study that first profiled housing conditions and then proposed actionable strategies. The report found Harrisonburg has a tight homeownership market (median days on market reported at six days), low rental vacancy rates and a substantial share of households that are cost‑burdened (about one third of area households pay more than 30% of income on housing).
For Harrisonburg specifically, the study flagged two priority actions: 1) evaluate the feasibility of density bonuses that are tailored to the city’s affordable housing goals and permitted under Virginia law; and 2) pursue a housing-policy financing analysis (potentially using a Virginia Housing grant) to study local financing tools for subsidized affordable housing or public-private mechanisms. Secondary recommendations include revising accessory dwelling unit (ADU) and short‑term rental regulations as part of the city’s ongoing zoning update, and developing a program to inventory and monitor naturally occurring affordable housing or expiring subsidies to preserve existing affordable units.
CSPDC staff and partners (including Mel Jones of Virginia Tech’s housing research center and Jonathan Knopp with Housing Forward Virginia) said the technical report contains deeper data, such as a local “naturally occurring affordable housing” analysis and best-practice case studies for ADUs, preservation and financing instruments. Council members asked questions about where to find the study’s detailed recommendations and whether models exist to guide zoning updates and preservation actions; CSPDC staff pointed to the technical chapters and examples in Waynesboro, Rockbridge, Richmond and other jurisdictions as practical references.
The CSPDC made the reports available online and offered follow-up assistance to city staff on zoning code updates, financing analyses and preservation strategies.
